Holland, Michigan | Visit the Tulip Time Festival

Each year in May Holland, Michigan welcomes people from all over to celebrate the spring Tulips and the Dutch heritage for the Tulip Time Festival. Through the days of this festival there are many fun events for visitors and locals alike to enjoy. May visitors to Michigan should be sure to plan a stop in Holland.

The Tulip Time festival is a great way to enjoy the Dutch culture and heritage of Holland. Visitors to this area will find a variety of events celebrating this heritage. In 2012 the festivities start on May 5 and continue through May 16. Travelers visiting Holland should visit www.tuliptime.com to check the schedule each year.

This year saw unusually warm weather during the month of March, which has lead to the early blooming of the tulips. Visitors can come early to Holland if they want to see the wonderful display of flowers. One essential aspect of this festival are the millions of tulips that bloom throughout the parks and streets of the town. Visitors will be delighted by the gardens at Centennial Park and can also enjoy six miles of tulips along the streets.

On May 5 the events start with the Tulip Time Run, and this is just the start of the many different events of this festival. After the run visitors should walk through the Art and Craft Fair or take a Tulip City Tour. Some events continue throughout the festival, and others are one day only events.

Visitors won't want to miss the Dutch Dance events. These take place every day of the festival, and performers can be as young as 8, called Kinder dancers. Over 1,000 locals perform the traditional style of Dutch dances. These performers dress in traditional Dutch costumes. Visitors are sure to enjoy these fun celebrations of the Dutch heritage of the town.

After enjoying all of the different events of the festival, visitors can continue their exploration of local Dutch heritage by visiting other points of interest. The Windmill Island Gardens are a beautiful stop, where visitors can enjoy thousands of tulips with a working windmill, a museum and much more. Another great destination is the DeKlomp Wooden Shoe and Delft Factory, where artists hand carve and handpaint wooden shoes.

Throughout this region of Michigan there is a strong Dutch heritage and visitors can learn about and enjoy this heritage each year at the Tulip Time Festival in Holland. There are many wonderful events for visitors to enjoy. After the festival the exploration doesn't have toss stop, there are many other fantastic destinations in the area, where visitors can learn even more about the region's history.